Cliche
by LadyCerise1891
Summary: It was cliche, the changes in them since the cotillion. Mal wondered when her life had planned out before once. Then, she simply wished someone would tell her where her life was heading. Of course, now no one would claim responsibility. Ben, of course, was left unperturbed. Oh, and love is stupid. One-Shot.


Truth time. I'm a big ol' sappy cheese ball.

I own none of the Descendants/Disney characters. Reviews are appreciated. Much love!

* * *

It was different now. Mal could always feel his eyes on her. Sure, that hadn't changed, but the way it felt sure had. She felt it all the way up her body, the pressing sensation of his considerations.

When they first starting dating in earnest it had been a whisper. It was as if his fingers would have been playing along her form in their wonderfully chaste, adoring way. His warm smile would brush against her cheeks and hair. It had been so innocent and sweet. Almost naive, in retrospect.

Since the cotillion, as disastrous as it was, his look had shifted. It had become more intense, more real. The feather like wonderment was all but gone.

She almost felt scandalised, at times. He would lean his head back and his eye lids would dip. That was when she would feel them, his hands, as if they were physically on her. His gaze would start at her ankles, an odd fascination she'd been slightly startled by. Then it would begin its slow, agonising journey up her calfs, thighs and pause at her waist.

There her breathing would hitch, involuntarily, as she pictured his hands gripping her firmly. His sure, large hands, so warm and worshipping. His lip would pull up in mischievous delight before falling back into his damning smirk.

After making her nearly hyperventilate, he would be on the move once more. It would ghost over her ribs, the only time he was as cautious as before. Sadly, she had enough sense in her not to taunt him into more unsavoury consideration and didn't dare taunt him.

So, when she would feel the heavy weight on her shoulders and back, she would nearly gasp. Her face would heat and chest constrict as he moved up her neck. Her scalp would tingle as his eyes focused on the light that played in her hair.

The worst? When he would focus on her lips. The very thing he had declared he'd wanted to taste since they'd met. The desire to claim them was becoming so singular she was sure she could feel it even when they were lands apart.

"Audrey." She was at her wits end and wanted some answered. "Can I ask you a quick question?"

Audrey glanced up from phone for a moment and opened her mouth, a slight frown playing at its corners. "Sure. I have a minute, I think." Her phone dinged and she held up her finger before raising her gaze and waving her hand to the purple haired fairy. "You have 30 seconds to peak my interest before I have to get to something more interesting."

Mal swallowed her groan. "Did you ever kiss Ben?"

Audrey blinked before sniffing dismissively. "That's a silly question. Of course not."

The girl rolled her eyes at Mal's look of confusion. "You shouldn't be that surprised, Mal. You do know about the power of true love's kiss. I heard about Ulla."

"Uma."

Audrey closed her eyes in frustration. "Yes. That's it. I don't know why I can't remember that one." Mal laughed nervously with the girl and tried not to let her annoyance show. "Anyway, well, some people still believe that's actually the only real magic still running unchecked by Fairy God Mother. You know, true love's first kiss?"

"Ben believes in that?"

Audrey let an indulgent smile grace her lips. "Yeah. I tried to talk sense into him, but he's old fashioned, I suppose. He's an old soul. He solidly thinks that real, true love is magical. No kissing unless the love is real."

Mal thanked her distractedly and began to leave before a thought struck her. "Not you, though? You kissed Chad like it was nothing. That wasn't real?"

Audrey gave her another indulgent lift of her lips. "Are we still together?"

"But he's still following you around like a lost puppy."

Audrey's smile dipped for a fraction of second before brightening. "He'll get over it. It's just because it was his first longish relationship."

Mal watched the girl return to her phone, marking the end of the exchange and leaving her more confused than before. She was left to ponder the situation as she made her way to her dorm. She was so distracted, she walked right into a dress rack Evie had unceremoniously pushed into her path.

"What on Aurodon?"

She struggled out of the garments and looked frantically for her room mate. She met the bored gaze of Evie Queen, who stood unabashed on the end of the rack. Her fingers tapped against the rail she'd been gripping moments prior.

"You are completely in your own head. What's going on?" Mal tried to play it off unconvincingly before lowering her head. "Okay, see now "this" is a problem. Last time this happened you ran away."

Mal played with Ben's ring on her finger in thought. "I'm not sure. I just-." She shuddered as the disembodied ghost of Ben's lips pressed against her. "Ever since the cotillion, things have been different."

Evie's look was embarrassingly unimpressed. "Honestly, Mal, sometimes you can be so blind." She huffed and sat at her work station. "Of course things are different. Engaged, to be engaged to be engaged? Yeah, that's out the window."

Mal blushed and felt her ire rising. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"True love's kiss, sweetie. The rawest form of magic is true love, in all its forms." She shrugged and pointed to Mal with a steady, accusing finger. "You are feeling true love for the first time in all its forms now. There's our love for each other, you, Jay, Carlos and I. The true love of family and friendship we have. And then, there's Ben and you."

"Well, sure. There's that, I guess."

Evie sighed and began absently comparing fabric swatches. "The love you feel for yourself. Your true self that you're getting to know better every day."

Mal nodded in understanding. "Sure. That all makes sense. That's beside the point! Ben is-."

She visibly struggled to form the words. Evie looked lost for the first time that afternoon before it finally clicked. It was her turn to blush as she signalled her friend to cease her attempts to explain.

"I get it. Please, don't tell me." Mal looked relieved, then pleading as she collapsed on her bed. "Well, I can tell you one thing, it's why Doug and I are waiting."

"Why should a kiss have that much power? Audrey was unaffected when she kissed Chad. Why me? I'm not even technically from Aurodon."

"It's true love, Mal. Do you think something like this happens everyday?"

The next day, Mal was still contemplating Evie's words. She tried to tuck them away as she marched up the castle stairs to meet Ben. The royal castle had become the only safe place for them to meet since the cotillion.

The heir of the Beast and the heir of the Dragon. There was no stopping the paparazzi after that had come to light. If they knew how truly beastly his nature could be, her literally transformation into a dragon wouldn't be so news worthy.

Thus, she was blushing furiously as she hastily greeted the staff she passed. She could make the journey to his study blindfolded, so it was rather easy to do so with her head down and face shielded by her her purple locks. Her fingers instinctively gripped the ornate golden handle firmly.

"You're early." The door was swung open and she stumbled against him. "Not that I'm not happy."

She looked up and smiled warmly as his friendly, loving golden eyes met her pale green ones. Adoration. She sighed in relief and buried her head into his chest. His arms gripped her tightly to him as he ushered her in and closed the door.

They passed the afternoon like usual. He worked some until lunch and then they played cards and she accused him of cheating repeatedly. After an early dinner they selected books for each other and settled onto a seat in front of the fire place.

"I've missed you."

Mal looked up from her book, the relaxing afternoon having lulled her into a satisfyingly warm normality. "You saw me yesterday." She leaned her head against his shoulder, snuggling closer on the love seat they occupied in blissful innocence. "We had lunch together."

That was when the air shifted. "I saw you more than that." She lowered her head and watched as his fingers steadily tightened on hers. "You know that."

His hand felt larger, somehow. "Do I?"

He snorted and she didn't dare raise her eyes from their joined hands. His nose had begun to skim her hair, the warmth of his lips scalding through the purple barrier to burn her skin beneath. She saw the book placed on his lap as the hand took up a new task of burying itself in her hair.

He never forced her. He would never force her. He could. She shuddered at the thought. The control he had so unnerving and it stirred up a craving so raw it terrified her.

"Ben." He hummed for her to continue as she raised her head a fraction so his lips and nose could could skim her face. "What is this?"

He paused before releasing a breathy chuckle. "How can you not know?" Something that sounded tantalisingly like a growl escaped his lips. "Mal?"

She closed her eyes and bumped his nose with her as their lips met. His chest rumbled in pleasure as he bore down on her. She gasped and he revelled in the newly gained access.

"Ben?"

He chuckled and moved his lips down her neck. "Mal?"

She regained some of her faculties at his sarcastic reply. "Seriously. Please?"

He pulled back and met her gaze. His eyes were so dark. She wondered what hers looked like.

"I love your eyes." She blinked slowly, the world seemed distorted and hazy. "Your true green eyes. I can see your soul when they're like this."

She suppressed a whimper. "Why did we change?"

His eyes softened at her inquiry. "We were bound to. This? This was meant to be."

She let out a weak chuckle, pulling up some sarcasm from her frazzled mind. "Okay, sure. Should I call you Ben Charming now?"

He huffed and pulled away a little. "You just can't let me be romantic, can you?"

She rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder playfully. He leaned back into his previous position, allowing her to snuggle into his side once more. He didn't pick his book up, though. It remained on the floor next to hers, forgotten as one hand resumed its hold on hers and the the other ghosted up and down her arm.

"I was being serious, though, Mal." She jerked in his arms but her held her fast. "I love you. I've always had my future laid out before me, but none of it made sense until you. I'd always felt trapped in this life until you became a part of it."

"But why is it suddenly like this?"

He lowered his head to look her in the eyes. "It sounds so cheesy, I know. So fairy tale cliche that even I don't like voicing it."

"True love's first kiss?"

He smiled in relief, an unashamed glow of love lighting his eyes. "It's the most powerful magic of all. There will only be you, Mal. For me, marriage is a formality at this point. I'm yours and yours alone."

She would never tell anyone how deep her blush was when she was escorted home that night. He was undeterred, a totally unkingly grin splitting his face nearly in two. He pulled her into every hidden alcove, shrubbery and nook and cranny the couple came across on the way back to the dorms.

"You're rather late, tonight?" Evie blinked sleepily as her friend quietly entered their dark dorm. "Are you okay?"

"Uh huh." She mechanically slipped into her bed and turned away toward the wall. "Tired."

"Aren't you going to change?"

She didn't reply, afraid her teeth would chatter at the rate her pulse was bounding. She gave an exaggerated shrug and burrowed further into her comforter. Evie sighed, barely hanging on to her own marginally awake state.

"Okay. I wanna hear all about it tomorrow."

Mal vowed to never tell.


End file.
